


A Baby Gift

by annelea



Series: From One Door To Another [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Baby Shower, F/M, Gen, Pregnancy, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-10-21 23:49:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10685415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annelea/pseuds/annelea
Summary: Sasuke is forced into attending Sakura's surprise baby shower, however, he does not come completely empty handed.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There are other characters at play here, but I'm only tagging those who actually move the plot.

Sakura opened her door to the smell of rice pudding overpowering everything.  "I'm home!"  
  
Several faces greeted her.  There was her mother, her father, Ino, Hinata, Tenten, Lee, Naruto, Yamato, Kakashi, Shizune, Kurenai, Temari, and both her brothers (Gaara still half way in his official Kazekage robes), all surrounding her closely.  
  
"Uh, guys, it's Sunday, not Monday..." Sakura looked around quizzically.  Everyone gathered here on Sundays, even Gaara, Temari, and Kankurou if they were in town and not busy.  "Why are you all here?"  
  
"Did you forget your own baby shower?" Temari questioned, eyebrows rising.  
  
"My what?" Sakura's eyes widened, too.  Since when had any of them known?  Well, her parents knew, but they didn't know who the father was.  Kakashi knew, but he knew it would be best not to let the secret out.

What tipped them off?  She still sparred.  She used part of the chakra stored up in the seal on her forehead to shield the baby.  Only Naruto or Sasuke could notice such a thing out of all the people she sparred with, and Sasuke wasn't around.  Did Naruto tell them?  Why hadn't he said anything to her first?  
  
"Oh, that's right..." Mebuki, her mother, stepped up.  "Sakura-chan thought she could keep it all a secret from the world.  Well not anymore!  Naruto-kun here had a sit down talk with me last month trying to figure out who that kid's daddy is.  We all have our suspicions.  But, since I invited everybody possible, including potential fathers, we're going to just give you a baby shower instead of fighting about it."

"You told everyone?" Sakura's face paled.  "You invited everyone?"  
  
"Yes," Mebuki grabbed her by the hand and lead her into the living room.  "I know it will be a tight fit doing it here, but I didn't want to give you a chance to escape.  The rest of the guys should be here shortly.  They just had to go round up one last person."  
  
"Who?" was all Sakura could ask.  Her throat was getting tight.  Whether it was shock, fear, anger, or gratefulness, she wasn't sure.  She certainly felt all of those things at the moment.  Hell, she didn't even notice when someone took her shopping and put it away for her.  
  
"Uchiha Sasuke is rather difficult to find," Yamato reminded.  "So I sent Sai and a few others after him."

Sakura knew that by a few he ment at least eight.  She really didn't want him here for this.  When things had first settled down after the war, he had moved in with her for a time.  She'd royally screwed that up one night when hormones were getting the better of her.  She didn't know it then, but she had been a week pregnant with his child.  She threw him out, basically, and he never came back here, not to this place.  Not once did he even write while he was out on missions.  He never asked anyone else to talk to her for him, either.

She regretted that these days, but the past was the past.  Now it was her, and her baby, months later.

"I really don't want to see him," she admitted.  
  
"Well, he owes you this much at least," her mother stated flatly before getting up to check on the sweet dessert that was almost ready in the kitchen.  
  
Naruto walked up to her now, sitting down on the couch beside her.  "I had to say something, Sakura.  It's not good that you're still sparring with us every week.  I wanted to protect you.  You know that right?  Everyone here should know you're pregnant.  We can all help you with everything.  We all want to."

"So," she turned to him, not sure if she was angry or happy about him doing anything about her sittuation, "was it your idea or my mother's for all of this?"  
  
"Mostly hers," he answered, scratching at the back of his head nervously.  "I, uh, just told her I was concerned about you.  I know you don't have anything for the baby yet.  If you didn't want it, you wouldn't be pregnant, right?  So...  when she said she wanted to put together a party, she asked me to round everybody up.  Gaara and Kankurou were in town, so I invited them, too.  I couldn't invite Temari and not invite them.  They like you.  I think Kankurou is jealous.  He said he wants to meet the father and kick his ass for not marrying you first."

"We have our reasons, Naruto," Sakura explained.  "It's just not safe for people to know who the father is.  Not even now.  Please, if anyone tries to demand the truth, please stick by me on this one.  I...  I don't want my kid or me to become a target over who it's dad is."  
  
"I don't think anybody would be foolish enough to attack you, Sakura-chan," he smiled warmly at her.  "Even if it gets to a point where you can't protect yourself, everyone who knows anything about you knows that you have the strongest team on your side.  It would take longer to infiltrate your circle of trust than it will for that kid to grow up enough to fend for itself.  After all, it has two very smart, very powerful shinobi as parents, physically and mentally, right?"  
  
Fear was the dominant emotion now.  "You know, don't you?"  
  
"Of course I do.  I could smell him on you all the time.  Not like you smell a friend on someone.  Not like a girl's sleepover kind of scent transfer.  No.  Thanks to Kurrama, I can smell more... intimate things and pick out who's who.  But, don't worry!" he raised his hands in defense, "I didn't tell anyone.  Not even your parents.  He doesn't even know that I know.  I figured I'd tell him tonight or tomorrow."

"You're not angry with us?" worry crept into her voice now.  Sakura kept herself from looking around the room, catching his eye.  
  
Naruto took a moment to think about that one.  "I wish you would have at least told the team and your parents.  But...  I get it.  I take it that's why you haven't been around Shino or Kiba much?  You know they'd smell it like I did?"

"Yeah," she sighed, looking down at her lap.  She knew people were watching, had heard everything.

Silence ruled the large appartment.  The main door closed.  Sakura looked up to the entryway and saw Sai, Kiba, Shino, Lee, and a hand full of masked ANBU had entered, all escorting one Uchiha Sasuke.  The masked, on duty, ANBU left almost right away.  
  
Sakura stood and walked up to the quietly brooding man and looked him in the eye.  "I'm sorry they drug you here.  You can leave if you want.  I didn't ask for you.  My mother did."  
  
"They told me you are pregnant," he looked her up and down.  "You aren't even showing."  
  
"No," she shook her head.  "It was supposed to be a secret for now.  You were never supposed to know."  
  
"Well, they literally dragged me here kicking and yelling most of the way.  Can I at least get a bite to eat before I go?  Something for the road?  I have work to return to."  
  
"Sure.  Take what you need... and..." Sakura sniffed the air around him carefully.  "You need a shower, too.  Go take one, eat, then get out."  
  
"Thank you," he bowed deeply to her, showing only narrowed eyes to the rest of them.  As he brushed by her in search of the bathroom, Sakura felt a piece of paper slipped into her hand.  
  
Sakura excused herself to her own room for a moment reasoning that she should at least change into more comfortable clothing.  
  
She honestly did want to change her clothes, brush out her hair, and just be alone for a few minutes.  Whatever it was that Sasuke had slipped her, she knew he meant for it to be seen by her eyes only.  Clothes changed, Sakura sat on the bed to read the note.  It was a list of three bank accounts in other villages and their separate totals.  Below that was a simple, direct message.

_These are only a few of the accounts my family left behind to sit and collect intrest.  I hope it is more than enough for your needs and wants.  If the father of your child so badly desires to be absent, I can at least give you this much.  I do care for you, Sakura.  If you ever wish, I am ready to come home.  Only for you.  Do not take this as a bribe.  I intended it to be a birthday present for you next year.  Now it's a baby gift.  Please stop hating me.  I was foolish.  Yours, Sasuke_.

Her bedroom door clicked open, tearing her eyes away from the small letter.  Kizashi, her father, stood in the doorway with a frown.  "That was awefully nice of you.  I thought you hated him."  
  
"It's hard for me to hate him, Daddy," she held back a sniffle and a tear by biting her tongue hard.  "I just can't trust him not to hurt me again."  
  
"Just tell me this, please.  Is my grandchild in any danger of developing that cursid dojutsu?"  
  
"No.  No, she's not."  
  
"So, Naruto-san was right.  It's a girl?"  
  
"Looks that way," Sakura smiled up at him.  "Question...  Who are the people you're all betting on?"  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"I'm sure that a betting pool has already started on who the father is.  Please, tell me who is most likely to get interrogated.  I may have to heal them up afterwards.  Naruto already told me Kankurou is willing to brawl."  
  
"Most of us still think it's Sasuke-san," Kizashi answered honestly, comming to sit by her on the bed.  "Others speculate Sai-san, but Ino is very vocal about knowing where he sleeps and who he sleeps with.  The Kazekage is even a suspect, as is the new young Raikage.  But, I think Inuzaka Kiba made the best suggestion yet."  
  
Sakura made a face.  "Who thinks it's Kiba?"  
  
"Nobody, dear.  He simply pointed out that all the hairs stuck in deeply in your least used chair are quite pale."  Kizashi, to prove his point, inspected the pillow beside him.  "Ah yes... silver hair.  You're not going gray for a long time, and there's only one person who sticks around with this color hair..."  
  
"Could be Akamaru's hair," Sakura shrugged.  "He likes to hop in my bed the minute he walks through the door."  
  
"Too long for dog hair," Kizashi waved one infront of her.  "Sakura...  why?  Why him?"  
  
"You told me once, when I was little, that nobody actually gets to choose who they love," Sakura reminded him.  "We both wish we could come out and tell everyone.  I think, when she is born, my baby will out her father quickly enough."  
  
"Why are you having his child if you can't even have an honest relationship?"  
  
"It wasn't on purpose.  Despite what some may think, even the ways of a medic can fail.  When I found out...  I couldn't bring myself to kill it.  He's been under a lot of pressure to have a kid, too.  Keep his family legacy going and such.  The council knows he has a girlfriend, but nothing else can be adaquately confirmed for them."  
  
"Your mother and I should know, don't you think?  That way, if something happens, and you're not around, we can give more than half of the child's parents' medical history?  We can alert the father properly for an emergency.  It's only right to keep all the blood family in the know about one another.  Your mother and I can be trusted to keep the secret of the father."  
  
"I know _you_ can," Sakura leaned on his shoulder.  "Mom's head will explode."

"Not considering how she handled thinking Naruto-kun was the man in your life.  She still doesn't want you with someone like that despite all the good he's done.  Your personalities don't match up quite right to live together, let alone raise a child together.  That's why most of us, her included, still thought it was Sasuke.  You need the quiet to your loudness.  You need someone who can diffuse your temper, but can be riled up by it, too."  
  
"He is that kind of person to me, Daddy," Sakura assured.  "Please, don't tell Mom until you get home.  I don't want anyone to confront him.  Not tonight.  I just want to get through all of this crap as soon as possible."  
  
"People are here to give you baby gifts more than they are to weed out the father, Sakura.  Most of us respect your silence well enough."  
  
"I do love him, Daddy.  He loves me, too.  He wouldn't have stuck around or even shown up tonight if he didn't, right?  A man doesn't stick around for a woman and a kid unless he loves them."  
  
"Some do," Kizashi warned.  "He's not that kind, though, I think.  This man has integrity despite the fact that he's pretty much a cradle robber."  
  
"Mom's eleven years older than you," Sakura wagged a finger at him.  "I don't want to hear it."  
  
Her father smiled down at her.  "True.  Now, come on.  I think we've spent enough time in here, pretending that you're crying.  Let's go out there and face the crowd bravely.  You can always chuck out anybody that makes you mad.  Right?"  
  
Sakura stood up and rushed into him, hugging tightly.  "You always know what to say.  Thank you."


	2. Chapter 2

Back in the living room, Sakura noted that Sasuke had elected to stay.  He sat between Naruto and Shino on the couch, scooting closer to Shino when she reappeared.  Naruto followed suit in scooting away from Sasuke, and both men pointed at the spot between them, indicating that she should be sitting there.  Sakura looked around the room, spotting Kakashi leaned up in a corner, arms crossed.  Kurenai stood next to him, making idle conversation.  When Kakashi caught her eye, he nodded to her, then looked at the spot between Sasuke and Naruto, then back at her.  Sakura understood.  He wanted to keep their distance this evening.  What better way than to throw the suspicion more fully onto Sasuke?  
  
"Someone get Sakura something to eat already!" Ino called out.  She couldn't exactly move because she was in a small chair with Akamaru on her lap.  Kiba and Sai were on either side of her, playing with the dog back and forth.  Sakura watched as Sai's hand was bitten enough to draw blood.  Ino swatted him on the nose and ran both the dog and Kiba away at that point, then started healing Sai's hand.  She used her own napkin and glass of water to wash away the blood from his skin, giving his hand a gentle squeeze when she was done.  Well, that answered for Sakura who Sai was sleeping with.  
  
Hinata came over with some food (and more than a healthy portion of rice pudding) for Sakura, sitting down in Naruto's lap after handing the plate over.  She reached out and took a few grapes from Naruto's mostly finished plate.  At first, Naruto was going to grouse that he wasn't done yet, but, after popping a couple into her own mouth, Hinata actually fed him a few.  No longer was she the swooning idiot.  Now she was the one bringing a blush to Naruto's cheeks.  
  
"Here," a soft, deep voice brought Sakura back to the moment away from Naruto and Hinata.  She looked to her left slightly to see a glass of carrot juice being offered.  That was when she remembered it was Sasuke sitting there.  
  
"Thank you," she smiled slightly, studying his now softer eyes as she took the offered drink.  Sakura took a swig and set the glass on the table.  A low chuckle followed, and then Sasuke was wiping the orange liquid from the corner of her mouth with a fresh napkin.  Sakura tensed up, eyes darting around the room.  Who else had seen that?  Why had he done that?  
  
"I can do that for myself, promise," Sakura informed.  "Please, Sasuke...  You're going to have people thinking you're the daddy-to-be."  
  
Sasuke leaned in to speak where only she could hear.  "That's the point.  At least while you're still pregnant.  Naruto and I talked about it.  Little things like this should be enough to encourage people to think it's me.  It's a little extra layer of protection."  
  
"I don't need all this coddling," she growled.  
  
"Yes, you do," he gave her a sobering look.  "You may not realize it yet, but Naruto told me something important.  Your child's chakra system is developing much faster now, and it's beginning to interfere with yours whether you've noticed it or not.  I don't know what the father's job is, but I can hazard a guess that he can't be near you all the time.  I can be around more.  When the day comes that you can't properly use your chakra because of this kid, you'll need me, or someone like me, around more.  Naruto is busy fending off Hinata's requests for a baby of their own.  He's the only other person like me."  
  
"Sasuke, please, your gift was far more than I will ever need."  
  
"Financially, maybe," he frowned.  "You need someone to stay with you.  You need someone to step up and be a father to your child.  The man who put it in you seems to be a coward."  
  
Fists balled on her knees.  
  
"Is he just using you to get away from a useless wife?  Please tell me you didn't  do something stupid like that."  
  
Sakura stood up.  "That is it!  Everyone but my parents and my team get the fuck out of here.  Ino, you and Hinata can stay if you want.  But that's it.  Nobody besides family is to be in this place after three minutes have passed!"  
  
Nobody disobeyed Sakura in her own home, not even the Kazekage.  Mebuki directed people to just do as her daughter demanded.  All the gifts were left on the dining table.  Dishes sat where they were (some already washed).  It took three minutes exactly for everyone not told to stay to get the hell out.  At this point, Kakashi stuck his head out the big living room window and asked the ANBU to make sure people kept a distance.  Nobody needed to overhear this.  
  
"Sasuke," Sakura leveled a glare at him.  "My husband is no stranger to the word coward.  However, he is far from being one."  
  
"Husband?"  the word echoed through the room.  
  
"We got married eight months ago when we all went to Waterfall for the Kage Summit," she explained.  "No, the baby wasn't planned.  We were going to wait for him to retire first."  
  
"Well, that narrows the list down to two," Mebuki looked back and forth between Yamato and Kakashi.  They were the only two likely to retire their positions before Sakura hit menopause.  
  
"Please," Sakura closed her eyes, keeping her back to the eldest two of her team.  "Naruto and Dad already know who you are.  Please just tell these people.  They are our family.  Just tell them."  
  
"Ino's a loudmouth," Naruto shot the other blond a look.  
  
"Sai knows how to keep her quiet,"  Yamato answered before Ino could blurt anything out.  He shared a look with Kakashi.  That made three people that knew.  Yamato was expecting to see a kind of pleading in Kakahsi's eyes.  If his senpai wanted it, he would pretend to be Sakura's husband.  But there was only resignation in Kakashi's look.  
  
Kakashi swallowed the lump in his throad and walked to the center of the room; standing beside Sakura, he took her hand in his.  
  
Sakura thought her mother was going to have a heart attack.  Naruto smiled and held a confused Hinata close.  Sai and Ino both looked genuinely shocked.  Sasuke and Yamato both looked like they wanted to punch Kakashi.  It was Kizashi who first showed compassion for his son-in-law.  
  
"The why doesn't matter," her father spoke.  "We don't get to pick who we fall in love with.  Now that it's out in the open with all of us, I'm sure everyone can agree that it needs to be kept secret for now.  Kakashi can't be expected to hover over Sakura all the time to protect her.  Sending ANBU to do that for him would just call attention to things more.  Am I right?"  
  
"That is exactly why we did not change our routine after being married or learning about the child," Kakashi agreed.  "My presence when Kushina-san was pregnant with Naruto alerted the enemy that something had changed.  My suddenly not being on duty in the normal place at the normal time was the alert they needed to attack and try to take Kurrama.  
  
"I know Sakura is no jinchurriki, and nobody can use her to attack Konoha, but that doesn't change the fact that every one of us in here loves her in our own way.  We are all important people to Konoha.  I would rather people believe Sasuke is the father of my baby than see her go unprotected.  That is why I had Yamato bring you back today, Sasuke.  I wanted to use you the way my sensei used me, just... closer in."  
  
"Maybe you should have said something to her first," Sasuke snapped at him.  
  
"Yeah, you should have," Sakura echoed.  
  
"You would have said no." Kakashi reminded.  
  
"For tonight, it would have been fine," Sakura pulled away from him.  "Had I known this was all going to happen, I would have agreed!  But...  This..."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Everyone expected to hear that come from Kakashi.  No, it came from Mebuki.  The woman looked positivly sad.  
  
"What do you have to be sorry for, Haruno-san?" Sai asked, completely confused.  
  
"It's my fault things happened like this.  I was the one who came up with the idea of a surprise baby shower.  I really thought it was Sasuke-san.  Maybe you didn't know she was pregnant.  Maybe if you did, you'd come home and be the man she needed you to be.  I didn't expect this at all."  
  
"I do care about your daughter, Haruno-san," Sasuke assured.  "I care about her, but I am not the man she chose."  
  
Naruto waited for someone, anyone, to break the silence.  After a full minute, he chose to be the one.  "Come on, guys.  Let me get this place cleaned up.  Then Sakura can open the presents.  There were too many people here earlier all trying to figure this out.  Now, it is just us.  Just team.  Just family."  
  
He didn't wait for anyone to move, just created about six clones to start putting the place back into order.  He pulled Hinata and Ino over to the gifts and started bringing them to the coffee table.  "Sit down, Sakura-chan.  Let's see what you got, eh?"


End file.
